GIFT OF THE GAB
F1 legend Valtteri Bottas’ career may be OVER as ‘most exciting project in all sport’ signs 20-year-old to replace him
But the 35-year-old could be offered a lifeline by former team Mercedes
VALTTERI BOTTAS' career in Formula One could be OVER after he lost his Sauber seat this week.
Sauber - soon to be Audi - have signed 20-year-old Gabriel Bortoleto, who is the current Formula 2 championship leader, to replace Bottas.
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Bottas and Zhou Guanyu had been the Swiss team's line-up since 2022 but their end-of-season departures were confirmed on Wednesday.
The report that Bottas' deal will not be renewed came shortly before Bortoleto's expected signing was formally announced.
Bortoleto will become the fourth full-time rookie on the F1 grid next season after completing Sauber’s line-up for 2025.
Bortoleto will race for the team alongside Nico Hulkenberg.
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Bortoleto will join fellow full-season rookies Oliver Bearman (Haas), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Jack Doohan (Alpine) on the grid for 2025 in the biggest upheaval of the F1 field for some time.
He said: "This is one of the most exciting projects in motorsport, if not in all of sports.
"Joining a team that combines the rich motorsport history of Sauber and Audi is a true honour."
Audi took a 100 per cent stake in Swiss company Sauber in March, with the team set to debut in 2026.
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Bottas has failed to win a single point with Sauber and sits bottom of the current F1 standings.
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Sauber’s all-new line-up is part of a number of major changes taking place at Hinwil ahead of its evolution into Audi’s F1 team from 2026.
Bortoleto will become the first Brazilian to race full-time in F1 since Felipe Massa in 2017.
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The McLaren junior is the reigning Formula Three champion and currently leads the F2 standings in his rookie season with two rounds remaining.
Bottas, a 10-time Grand Prix winner with Mercedes, was leading the chase to stay with Sauber for a fourth year over the summer, only for talks to stall in recent months.
But Sauber chief Mattia Binotto favours youth in the second seat to partner the experienced Hulkenberg, 37, from next year.
Speaking after Wednesday’s announcement, Bottas said: "A situation like this is never easy for anyone.
"But after all the good and in-depth discussions we had in the past weeks, we realised that the conditions to grow this project together were not met.
"These past years with the team have been an incredible journey, full of growth, challenges, and unforgettable moments."
With the only remaining spot on the 2025 grid being at VCARB, Bottas’ time as a full-time F1 driver looks to be over.
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But the 35-year-old could be offered a lifeline by former team Mercedes, who could sign him as reserve driver.
Kimi Antonelli, 18, is replacing Lewis Hamilton at the Silver Arrows next term, with the seven-time champ heading to Ferrari.
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